Trade battle hits China's retail - but German economy rebounds

15 May 2019

Trade war clouds darken over China as retail sales growth falls to a 16-year low, according to new data, and industrial output slows. But Germany's first-quarter GDP numbers are hailed as a 'first ray of hope' for showing an economy returning to expansion. Pascale Davies reports.

In the Chinese President's first address since trade tensions with the U.S. spiked last week, Xi Jinping sent a message to the world.

(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CHINESE PRESIDENT, XI JINPING, SAYING:

"Today's China is not only China's China. It is Asia's China and the world's China."

China open for business but new data raises questions over business in its retail sector.

China reported sales growth fell in April to a 16-year low, rising just 7.2% from a year earlier.

It suggests Chinese consumers were getting more worried about the economy, even before the U.S.' latest tariff hike on Chinese goods on Friday.

Growth in industrial output also slowed more than expected to 5.4% - in a sharp decline from March's 4-and-a-half year high.

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